New asphalt plant rental business

The UK’s first rental business dedicated to the hire of mobile and static asphalt plants is now operating out of Glasgow. Offering short-, medium- and long-term contracts, Road Rentals Ltd have been established in response to the trend within the asphalt and quarrying industry towards the contract hire of plant rather than outright purchase.

Steve Corbett, Road Rentals’ managing director, said: ‘This is very much a niche market and we aim to provide an asphalt plant hire service that will allow contractors to take on work that they would otherwise not be able to fulfil due to circumstances such as the large capital expenditure of an asphalt plant purchase for a one-off contract or delivery.’

Road Rentals have already completed their first major contract — the resurfacing of the main runways at an airbase in the north of Scotland for Tarmac Northern, a project that called for approximately 20,000 tonnes of Marshall-specification base, wearing and friction course material.

To fulfil this contract Road Rentals purchased a 160 tonnes/h RoadStar 2000 fully mobile batch production asphalt plant from Leicester-based Phoenix Transworld Ltd. The plant was delivered and installed in April 2004 and fully commissioned by mid-May, in line with Tarmac Northern’s requirements.

In addition to supplying the RoadStar plant on a five-month contract, Road Rentals were responsible for operating and maintaining the plant for the duration of the contract period, which was completed ahead of schedule.

As well as offering full technical back-up and spares support, Road Rentals can also hire out individual items of equipment (feed units, bag filters etc) and provide operators to run existing asphalt plants.

Road Rentals Ltd, 10/6 Clydesmill Investment Park, Cambuslang, Glasgow G32 8NL; tel: (0141) 646 2066; fax: (0141) 646 2077.